Visiting Machu Picchu: an unforgettable experience

September 17, 2022

Je souhaitais partager avec vous un moment inoubliable de ma vie : la visite du Machu Picchu ! Au réveil, je suis excitée comme une gamine qui attend l’ouverture des paquets sous le sapin ! Depuis 30 ans, je rêve de voir de mes propres yeux le Machu Picchu. Et on y est ! Enfin Presque !

We woke up very early (4 a.m.) in Aguas Calientes, the closest town to the archaeological site. We wanted to be sure to be first in line. We arrived at 4:30 a.m. and joined the queue to board the bus. Only a few tourists and mostly guides were already there.

It's drizzling a little. We hope the weather will be better up there. Our French-speaking guide joins us and after a 30-minute shuttle ride, we arrive at the site's opening time of 6 a.m..... in thick fog.

An overview of the site: Machu Picchu tour route 2

Huge disappointment when we were told we were looking at one of the most beautiful views of Machu Picchu. Admittedly, we were practically the only tourists there at that hour… but there was nothing to see but clouds and a few walls standing out in the distance: Even with a lot of imagination, it was hard to picture ourselves standing before one of the most remarkable sites in the world.

So we waited, hoping for a break in the clouds, listening to the guide explain the entire history (quite short, actually (1440-1530)) of this ancient Inca city. And after 30 minutes, the magic of the weather or the site worked its charm. The clouds cleared, gradually revealing the entire city. A magnificent and unforgettable experience. Truly a deeply moving moment.

Grâce au guide nous rejoignons très vite les lieux les plus emblématiques dans la partie supérieure du site. On se sent seuls au monde. Voilà un premier aperçu de la cité (à travers le circuit 2 ) : Porte principale, temple des 3 fenêtres, chaos de granite, place sacrée, roche funéraire, terrasses agricoles, maison des gardiens.

La Montaña: circuit 3 of the visit to Machu Picchu

Vers 9h, nous rejoignons le départ du sentier pour entamer l’ascension de la Montaña (l’un des 2 sommets qui entoure le site avec le (Wayna) ou Huayna Picchu. Il culmine à 3000m d’altitude. Prés de 2000 marches et 550 mètres de dénivelé nous attendent.

Nous commençons à grimper par une succession d’escaliers de pierres de hauteurs inégales. Il fait déjà très chaud. La pente est raide tout du long. Certains escaliers paraissent presque verticaux. Heureusement nous n’avons pas sous-estimés nos réserves d’eau. Le parcours est relativement difficile mais la beauté des paysages en vaut la peine.

After an hour and fifteen minutes, having reached the second viewpoint, we had covered three-quarters of the distance when the path narrowed. Some people we passed were coming back down, exhausted by the difficulty of the final stretch (especially for those prone to vertigo). We therefore decided to stop there and enjoy the already magnificent view before us.

I admit I'd like to save some time to continue exploring the city I started this morning! (Note: we were able to organize our day this way because we booked two different routes for the visit; otherwise, it would have been impossible to backtrack…) The descent allows us to admire the magnificent views of the city and the Urumbamba Valley. We finish the visit in the lower part (using our access from route 3). The sacred rock, the Temple of the Sun, and the Inca's house

It's 1 p.m. More and more people are flocking to the site. We have a picnic with the ruins before us and then take the shuttle back.

The return

Je n’ai pas envie de partir. Encore envie de déambuler dans les ruelles étroites… Mais nous devons reprendre le train vers Ollantaytambo. Nous craignions de faire la queue pour reprendre la navette mais les bus sont nombreux à attendre.

A Agua Calientes nous avons un peu de temps pour acheter quelques souvenirs bien kitchs ! puis c’est le trajet en train.